Frenchie
Covent Garden, London
French chef Gregory Marchand, or ‘Frenchie’ as he was nicknamed during his time with Jamie Oliver, opened his Covent Garden bistro modelled after the Parisian original in 2016. While perhaps no longer the dernier cri, Frenchie has settled into a comfortable groove on this populous restaurant street. The room is attractive: contemporary bistro in style with white walls, parquet floors, marble and zinc-topped tables, and counter seating. Marchand’s food keeps diners on their toes, particularly when it comes to his use of acidity. Foie gras pressé, for example, has a seam of sour cherry jelly where one might typically expect sweetness, while tomato panzanella involves redcurrants, pickled shallots and basil. Main courses might be Middle White pork with charred leeks, black figs and fig-leaf emulsion or, from the set lunch (appealingly priced for the area), grill-blackened pollock garnished with raw and cooked courgettes, concentrated Vadouvan spice paste and parsley sauce. Pudding sees ‘banoffee’ interpreted as a cloud of nutmeg-scented mousse, aerated almost to the point of insubstantial, with ice-cold banana in its centre. We enjoyed the playfulness of the cuisine and only regretted that the front of house team weren't better able to tell us more about it. Wines need to be eccentric to fit in here; it’s good to see ‘world wild wine’ alongside the majority of French gems.
Dining Information:
Private dining room, Counter seating, Outdoor dining, Wheelchair access, Family friendly
16 Henrietta Steet, Covent Garden WC2E 8QH
020 7836 4422
